Pontiac Bonneville Electrical Problems

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My sons 2004 Bonneville SE has problems with instruments. Tach, odometer work OK, we think fuel and voltage are OK. But temp, speedometer, oil pressure don&#146;t work &#150; sometimes they spin all the way around until they hit another gauge. Any thoughts on where to start? Also, I found directions that indicated remove 5 clips and the cluster just slides out. Correct?

my bonneville stalls when driving at low speeds and you take your foot off the gas. what happens is the alternater stops working, the battery gauge drops and it stalls. will restart immediately but does this constantly only at lower speeds when letting off the gas. replaced the alternater and the tensioner but didnt help. got any ideas?

I would have the battery checked on a load tester. Sometimes a battery is defective but still fairly new.

I would check the connections on the battery cable, especially the positive where you have two positives, one on top of the other with a lead spacer in between. Corrosion to one may be affecting the voltage to the computers. Separate the two positives and make sure they're clean. Check at the other ends of the positive and negative cables for corrosion. I would loosen the bolts slightly and retighten to be sure of a good contact. Be sure to turn off the AC inside car with key ON to park it, then remove negative ground under hood so you don't short any positive cable to ground with a wrench.

How low does the battery gauge drop? Do it go to the same value on the gauge as when you get in and turn the key to ON without starting the car?

You problem might just be a bad MAF sensor or gummed up throttle valve butterfly. Or it might be more serious like a crankshaft position sensor. MAF sensor wires can be cleaned with liquid cleaner. Throttle body can be cleaned. Best to have removed and cleaned.

This started off with the lights, except the headlights, blowing a fuse occasionally. Finally, two wires behind the fuse box melted. The wires lead to the parking light fuse. Once this occurred, the parking lights would not turn off. Checked the fuses and they were fine. Melted wires were replaced. The lights turn off if I remove the parking light fuse. I looked at the headlight switch and found it to be very hot. Tried a new switch and it did not make a difference. Checked for exposed wires and did not find any. Will try cleaning all the grounds as I found in this forum. Any ideas what it could be if the grounds do not fix the problem? Also, now the left turn signals do not function since the wires melted. Could it be a computer problem?

I recall some people talking about a connector to the headlight switch having corroded or burned contacts and people replacing the connector. The symptoms were softened or melted plastic around some of the connector. Look at the metal contacts inside the connector you didn't replace.

My 99 Bonneville has low voltage to the fuel pump, the windows will not activate and neither will the power seat. I turn the key the engine turns over but will not start. After a few hours or the next day all of a sudden the turn the key the windows work and the fuel pump kicks in and the car starts. Four days later the same thing, Any ideas???

Common problem. Probably the ground buss on the drivers side. Take the trim off between the door and drivers seat and down below you will see connectors wrapped in black tape. Take them apart and clean all connections and add some dielectric grease. Also check to see if the wires are in good shape, That should fix it.

statepig I had the same problem with my 94 bonniville check in the trunk on the antania for the radio there is a switch attached to it unplug the wires to see if that is it. or just listen at night when it's real quit and see if you can hear it cliking on and off if you do then just repales the switch. that how i found mine after taking it to two mechincs i fixed myself. good luck ray

We own a 2002 Bonneville - reading this discussion about electrical issues - I have to describe our problem - see if you think it might be the same thing... My son left his window down - rain came in - now windows don't work - cooling fans won't work -and A/C doesn't work. One mechanic says windows are electrical issue - $65 / hr to diagnose - Cooling Fans and A/C compressor need to be replaced - because they cause fuses to blow each time they are changed.... Estimated repair $750. So - I'm looking on line for parts and possibly a less expensive option - and I run across this web site / discussion. Your advise seems to have helped others - not sure if our windows / fans / AC problems are inter-related or not... I've read some of the advice to him (over phone) and advised him to check under carpet for 'bundle' of wires and to inspect / clean them... Your thoughts?

just bought this 92 bonneville... after one week, the temp guage went up to the red zone (280) a couple of times... had to stop and let it cool down. the antifreeze is ok, oil is ok, water pump is good..., so far no boilovers... could be the thermostat, but i'm wondering if it's something electrical because when i was looking at it with a friend, he tapped the display with his finger and BOTH the temp and battery needles shot far to the right side. what is going on??? thanks for any help you can offer.

Good morning, afternoon, or evening. I'm new to this forum and hope I can find the help I need here. I have a 2005 Bonneville SLE with 71150 miles. Friday morning after stopping at a Wawa, upon restarting the traction control turned off on it's own and the left turn signal indicator dimly lit as if telling me a bulb was bad. As I drove off I noticed the turn signal indicator went out, that is until I used the brakes again. Also when using the left turn signal it blinks rapidly while holding the brake pedal down. I had some one apply the brakes while I looked at the lights and the left lights go out, the reverse lights come on!!!!! WTF? This only happens on the left side, can some one PLEASE help me! What is causing this?

I have a 94 Bonneville and i am having trouble with the security system. The car has power and the starter is good but the car wont turn over. There is no power to the starter. does anyone have any suggestions?

When you say the car has power, does the starter have power. There is a problem with corrosion building up between the two or three positive cables that are overlapped on the battery. Those need to be clean.

When you turn the key to ON the security light should come on and then go off after a few seconds if the key chip is being read as correct. If there is a problem with the VATS security system, the security light will flash for three minutes and the starter and injectors will be disabled. That occurs after the third time you try to crank with a bad reading for the VATS chip.

If you are not getting an error with the Vehicle AntiTheft System, try having someone tap on the solenoid on the starter while you turn the key to crank. Many times the solenoid does not make contact and nothing happens when the key is turned to crank with a bad starter. The small hammer or object can be tapped against the solenoid down under the front of the motor.

Have a 1999 Bonneville, with approx 183,000 miles......having issues with it quitting when driving, and it will not start back up ...have to let it sit for atleast 30 minutes, if not longer....Battery has a full charge, you can hear the fuel pump and starter engaging....

My 97 just started having heater lower issues when it got cold out. It first started not coming on at first and after a min would come on, now it will come on but never blow high even on high. High is like setting three, when at that and actually blowing dims off and high will be like one. You can get it to work for a couple mins if you get out and wiggle the plug on the back of the motor but still high is like setting 4 and quickly slows to 3. Also the gas gage will apear to be ok say at 1/2 tank but when sitting for a min will drop gradually in incromentsuntill past empty. My voltage gage reads 14 when the car sits at idle but smells like burning electrical and reads high end 15 ish. any help would be great on what to check.

2000 Bonneville -Recently I smelled what I thought was burning electrical in the passenger cabin and it turned out to be a leaking heater core. I also had to replace blower fan in past. I thinks the blades are hard plastic, but don't remember if they give off a smell when the motor failed. Good luck.

i went to auto zone and had a diagnoise done because my check engine light came on and it came back code P0102 witch is the MAF sensor, and now my car shut off while i was driving all power and every thing i thought i needed a jump but after 5min i tried to start it and it came back on and i drove it home can the MAF sensor really cause all this? nothing else came back on the second diagnoise i had done but the MAF sensor again..i really need help and i cant aford a mechcanic to keep paying for defferent things if you no can you help please. thanks

May have had a similar problem on my 2000. Brought it to the mechanic and he said I had accidently turned the headlight switch to on full (all the time). When he turned it to the off position the lights went out but I still had running lights and they still came on automatically at night and shut off with the delay.

Did they clear the code and it came up a second time? If so, you probably need to replace it. I've had to replace them in the past. When I read your post, it reminded me of the time when my 2002 Bonneville died on the interstate and restarted after 5-10 minute wait. Turned out I needed an ignition control module and had a crack in the housing of one of my coils.My 2000 is starting to cost me $$ to keep it running, but less than a monthly car payment!